Process for treating hydrocarbons



Oct. 20, 1931. 1 D SEGUY 1,827,915

PROCESS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBONS Filed Feb. 25, 1927 l Baten-ated Oct. v2o, 1931 UNITED STATES-PATENT OFFICE JEAN DELATTRE SEGUY, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIB,'ASSIGNOB TO UNIVERSAL OL PROD- UCTS`COMPAN'Y, 0F CHICAGO, ILLmOIS., A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA I PROCESS FOR 'IREAITING HYDROCARBON'S v application mea rebruary-as.. l15:77. serial no. 170,779.

the qualities of the lighter hydrocarbons produced, particularly as tent. t v

, Another purpose of the invention is to reduce the operating cost of the so-called to their sulphur concracking plants `wherein conversion 'of-hydrocarbon oils takes place, by reducing tendency to corrosion of those parts of the appara.- tus which come in contact with hydrocarbon material containing f objectionable sulphur compounds. One of the objects ofthe 1nvention isA to decrease the treating cost of the lightproducts made, b decreaslng the proportion of objectiona le compounds contained therein, such as. gum-forming, s ulphur-containing constituents, thus rendering treatment by the usual methods now em ployed easier and cheaper. v

Another object of the invention is to de crease the formation of pitch-like and cokelike compounds during the conversion of the hydrocarbon oil.

Briey,-the process comprises mixing withthe hydrocarbon oils to be treated, a'proportion of adsorbing material, such as fullers earth, or the like, and subjecting the mixture to treatment under heat and pressureto effect conversion into lighter hydrocarbon oils.

it is readily seen -that there are unlimited Ways of carrying out theobjects of this in vention, and I do not Wish to limit myself to any one particular method or apparatus. The features of the invention reside in mixing the proper proportion oftheV treating agent, such as fullers'earth or the like, with the hydrocarbon oil to be treated and passing the mixture through a heating zone, such as a continuous pipe coil or a still vof the so-called tube and header type, or any other type.

' The mixture of hydrocarbon oiland adsorbing agent, `which is raised during ltravel. through the heating zone to thel .conversion temperature, may be then passed' through reacting, separating and dephlegmating zones,-

where the-heated mixture will `separateinto heavier andulighte'r fractions of unconvertedvor insuiiciently converted oil and into light i vapors, which latter, by condensation, form the lighter final products of the operation.4

The coke-like Yand pitch-like material formed during the operation separate from the other materials in the reacting or separating zone, o'r both, and these zones are preferably unheated.

The lighter fractions of the insuiiiciently converte oil may, if desired, be returned to the heating zone for further treatment, b being added to the mixture of charging stoc and adsorbing agent passing to the heating zone. The heavier liquid products of the operation' arepreferably evacuated from the process, but, according to their character- 1st1cs, itvpmay be desirable to subject them totally or partiallyto a further treatment 1n the same lzone as a part of the same operatlon. v

An apparatus to carry out this invention can be conceived without diiiiculty by those skilled in the art, and any apparatus by which the -pbjects of the invention can be carried out '1s well Within the scope of the invention as long as the -oil is subjected to the heat treatment and to the reaction while in the presence of an adsorbing agent, such as fullers earth, and the like.

The adsorbing agent is generall drawn oii' from the apparatus with' the co e-like and pitch-bke heavier hydrocarbons, as well as wlth the heavier liquid hydrocarbons formed. The 'heavier li uidhydrocarbons formed in the process an Awhich are generally suitable foruse as fuel, can be separated from the spent adsorbing agent mixed therewith by distillation, or preferably, when the zone in ,into a-separate zone `"wliere the volatile frac .tions separate from the non-volatile portions, Yand 'where the spent adsorbent will remain with the ,latter as 'a residue.

I will illustrate hereinafter a articular .niethodand apparatus in-vwhich t is invenasA tion can be carried out without limiting the invention to the application of the particular design illustrated. The single ligure in the drawin is a diagrammatic and schematic view o anapparatus for carrying out the invention.

Referring more in detail to the drawing: The hydrocarbon oil to be treated can be pumped from anysuitable source (not shown) through line 1, pump 2, lines 3 and 4, controlled by valve 5 to the main feed line 6, from which the oil is directedthrough heating tube 7 positioned in urnace 8, which can be of any suitable design and heated in any suitable manner.r The oil heated in the heating tube 7, passes through transfer line k9, controlled by valve 10, into a reaction zone 14. The liquid products from the reacting zone 11 may be drawn off from the bottom thereof, through line 15, controlled by valve 16, and passed to a separating zone 17, wherein the vapors are permitted to separate from the heavier oil, and where the separation and t precipitation of the pitch-like and coke-like constituents takes place. Heavier liquid products accumulating in separating chamber 17 are evacuated therefrom through lines 18, controlled by valves 19. These heavier fractions carry out of the system a large proportion of the coke-like and pitch-like par'A ,ticles formed, and those which are left to accumulate are drawn oit' at the end of the operationl through suitable manholes, such as are shown at 20.

rllhe vapors separating in the separating zone 17 are drawn oi through line 21, controlled by valve 22, and pass into the dephlegmating zone 14, where they are subjected tofractionationin any suitable manner.v A cooling material can be introduced into dephlegmating zone 14, through line 23, controlled by valve 24, to assist in fractionating the vapors. The insuiciently cracked vapors which'remain uncondensed in dephlegmatin zone 14, pass out throughline 25, controlle by valve 26, and after condensation in condenser 27 are collected in receiving zone 28, which may be provided with suitable liquid and gas draw'oi's, shown at 29 and 30, and controlled by valves 31 and 32. i

The fractions of vapors which have been fractionated and condensed in dephlegmating zone 14 are withdrawn from the latter through line 33, controlled by valve 34, and they can be evacuated to storage through line 35, controlled by valve 36, or by diversionv through line 37 controlled by valve 38, all or a naamw rt of the condensate can be subjected to urther treatment in the heating tubeV4 7 by means ofa pump 39 and line 41, controlled by valves 40 where the condensate may combine with the charging stock directed to the heating tube 7 through line 6.

lBy means of the various pumps and valves sure can be controlled. on the variousparts of the apparatus shown in a number of ways. For instance, the heating coil 7 and reactions zone 11 can be'maintained under equalized superatmospheric pressure, and the latter can be reduced, b means of valves 16 and 13, to any degree a ove, and down to atmospheric pressure, or to such pressure as is necessary to carrythe material throughthe balance of the system and overcome rictional resistance.

shown, it is readily understood that the pres- If it is desired to take care of this frictional Y pressure in a way to reducev the pres-v sure, on the separating zone and dephleg.-

mating zone down to, or below, atmospheric pressure, suction or vacuum pumps can be connected to the various product draw ofi lines from the system.

ln the method illustrated, the heated hydrocarbon oil leaving the heating coils Vpasses through separate reacting land separating zones, but it is well within the scope of the invention to combine these two zones and to allow, in this combined reacting and separating zone, all the vapors to separate from the residual products.

As a feature of the invention, an adsorbing agent, such as comminuted fullers earth, or the like, is combined with the oil before it enters the heating coil 7 and this can be eiected, for instance, in the following manner: 1

A portion of the oil fed through ump 2 and lines 4 and 6, to the heating 'coil 7 can be diverted by manipulating valves 5 and 42, into line 43, which connects with a mixing tank 44. 's mixing tank can be provided with any suitable mixing or agitating means (not shown). At the same time, the adsorbing agent which may be contained in a storhopper 46, controlled byfclosure ca or valve 47, is fed into mixing tank 44, w ere it is thoroughly mixed by means of agitating devices with the oil passing through said tank. The mixture .of adsorbent and raw oil is withdrawn from the mixing tank 44, through line 48, and by means of a booster pump 49 directed through line`50, controlled by valve 51, into the main feed line 6, and thence into the heating tubes 7. ln this manner the adsorbent, mixed with a portion of the oil to be treated, mixes in'line 6 with the remaining portion of the oil, and the whole mixture is subjected to treatment as heretofore de scribed.

lf desired, all the raw oil to be charged to mixing tank 44 and therein mixed with the adsorbent, but it has been observed that the passage of a smallportion of the oil through the mixing tank is sufficient to form a pastelike mixture with the adsorbent, and this paste mixes with the balance of the raw oil to be treated inA as satisfactory a manner as if all the oil was mixed with the adsorbent, while it requires a smaller apparatus to do the mixing.

The adsorbent passing with the oil through the heating tubes and reacting lzone will remain suspended in the heavier liquid products or solid and semi-solid products which separate froml the vapors in the reacting and separating zones. v

The mixture of the adsorbing agent and oil in mixing tank 44 is eected in such proortions as will give the nal mixture entering the heating tube 7, the desired content of adsorbing agent after all' the oil to be treated has mixed therewith.

The proportion of adsorbing agent `to be v I used varies with the characteristics of the oil to be treated and products to be obtained,

and it may vary from, sa 5 pounds to 50,

pounds, more or less, per rrelfof raw oil treated. l@his proportion mayv also vary if an adsorbing agent other than fullers earth is used.

The pressure and temperature must also be I regulated accordingto the material treated and products desired; for instance, the temperature leaving the heating coil 7 may be,

say, from' 800 to 900 F., morel or less, and v the pressure onI the cracking zone from 300v an adsorbent agent, for the purpose of improving the qualities of the lighter hydrocarbons produced, particularly as to their 'Y sulphur content, consisting in mixing the adsorbent agent with the charging oilfor the process, subjecting'the mixture to cracking conditions of temperature and pressure,

separating the vapors from the residual oil in which the spent adsorbent -is entrained, and discharging the residual oil and spent adsorbent under a reduced pressure to permit y flashing of vapors therefrom', and subjecting the first mentioned vapors and the vapors ref sulting from flashing to common dephlegmation.

2. Process of conversion of hydrocarbons under heat and pressure in the presence of,

an adsorbent agent, for the purpose of imvaryv without modiycarbons produced, particularly as to their sulphur content, consisting inv the adsorbent agent with the charging oil for.

' JEAN DELTTRE SEGUY.

proving the qualities of the lighter hydro- 

